Worth the Risk (COBRA Securities Book 21)

by Velvet Vaughn

  Kaiya jogged down the steps dressed for traipsing through the woods. They’d agreed that Gage would stay with Vanessa. Quinn didn’t need the weight of his backpack for what would essentially be a day trip, so he borrowed Vanessa’s smaller one to carry water, energy bars and food for Kilo. Luca returned with one of his own, and they split the supplies between them.

  They loaded into his Escalade, with Kilo riding in his cage in the back. Quinn drove to the same lot as before and parked. He debated whether they’d need comm devices and decided to go ahead and pass them out to keep in touch if they were separated.

  After a quick tutorial for Luca and Cayleigh, they set out on the path he used on his prior visit. A mile into the hike, he caught a faint whiff of smoke and noticed a gray haze hanging in the air. As they kept walking, the smoke thickened substantially. This wasn’t a friendly campfire. Maybe one of the meth labs blew up and started a forest fire.

  Quinn came to an abrupt halt. Red and blue lights swirled from half a dozen emergency vehicles. Dread pooled in his gut when he spotted the large open area where the cabin used to stand. Trees in a wide circumference were missing, with several charred or completely burned to the ground. In the center was a gigantic gaping crater that used to be the bunker.

  He stared in stunned disbelief. All the evidence to clear Vanessa’s name had gone up in flames.

  “Oh, no,” Kaiya whispered as she stopped next to him. Luca and Cayleigh joined them.

  “That giant hole was the cabin,” Cayleigh assumed.

  “Yeah.”

  Several firefighters were still on the scene, putting out hotspots. Radios squawked, and voices yelled instructions, but all Quinn heard was his heartbeat pounding in his ears. Without the video, the cabin and bunker had been their contingency plan to prove Vanessa’s innocence. Now it was their word against an unknown entity.

  “I’ll find out what happened.” Luca stepped around them and approached one of the firefighters. “Hey, Denny.”

  “Hey, Russo. You here about the fire, too?”

  “No. I was hiking with some friends when we smelled the smoke. Who else was here?”

  “Swanson and Radford. They just left.”

  “What happened? It looks like a war zone.”

  “Bombs. Two that we know of, possibly more. Completely destroyed the house and basement.”

  “Any casualties?”

  “Not that we know of yet. It’s been too hot to bring in a cadaver dog, but we’ve got one on standby.”

  Luca thanked him and returned to the group. “Two of my colleagues were out here, so that pretty much confirms it’s a crime scene.”

  Quinn couldn’t drag his gaze from the destruction. If he’d notified the authorities even a day earlier, the cabin would still be standing. He could’ve built the raft sooner despite the rain. He wouldn’t have melted if he paddled in a downpour. Instead, he allowed himself the luxury of enjoying the time alone with Vanessa. He’d made a crucial mistake.

  One of the firemen took off his helmet and mask to down a bottle of water. Quinn’s spine stiffened, and he spun around, grabbing Kaiya’s arm as he moved away.

  “What is it, Quinn?”

  He stopped with his back to the activity. “See the tall fireman with the bushy red beard?”

  She craned her neck to see around him. “Yes. He’s looking this way.”

  “He’s one of them.”

  #

  Dodge grabbed a bottle of lukewarm water and gulped it down as he mopped sweat from his face. It had to be at least two hundred degrees in his turnout gear. He drained the bottle and crushed it between his hands before tossing it towards the truck. It missed and fell to the ground. Shit. He’d leave it there, but his captain was a hard ass. With a huff, he marched over and picked it up, depositing it in the bin Weaver insisted on using to collect the plastic for recycling. Seriously, what a tool. As if there weren’t more important things to worry about than random trash littering the ground. Like the bunker, for instance.

  He absolutely hated having to destroy it. It was the perfect set-up for their needs, but they’d had no luck tracking down the elusive Vanessa Lacroix. She still hadn’t shown up either dead or alive. They couldn’t afford for her to pop up unexpectedly and lead the police to the cabin; hence the bombs he rigged to blow the place to hell.

  His molars ground together when he thought about Buck getting himself killed last night. What kind of dumbass tried to shoot the police with his hands tied behind his back? What did he think would happen? Here he’d always thought Griff was the idiot.

  Dodge was bleeding men right and left. He was down to Swanny and Griff. Damn, he didn’t like his odds at all.

  Another worry was wondering if the big boss would want to rebuild or find a new city to set up shop. What would happen to him if the operation relocated? Would he be asked to move, or would he end up six feet under like Reggie and Buck? They couldn’t just cut ties with him and wish him well. He knew too much. They wouldn’t take the risk that he might talk. He needed to be on his toes at all times. A threat could come from anywhere or anyone.

  He cursed Buck all over again. If the man weren’t already dead, Dodge would be tempted to do the job himself. They wouldn’t be in this mess if he’d just offed the Lacroix woman when he captured her. Reggie would still be dead, but he was replaceable. The operation would’ve continued running like clockwork.

  As he scanned the area around the burned-out bunker, he spotted two attractive women standing on the periphery. He stood up straighter. One had long black hair, the other red several shades darker than his own ginger color. Chicks dug firefighters. He’d bagged his share of hose honeys, as he liked to call them, the pun never ceasing to make him chuckle. Maybe he’d go over and flex—

  He jumped a foot in the air when his two-way radio shrieked in his ear. Damn, his nerves were on edge.

  “Lodge, I need you to start gathering the equipment,” the captain ordered.

  “On it, boss,” he grumbled. With a sigh, he turned to get one last look at the babes, but they were gone.

  #

  Gage had done his best to keep Vanessa’s mind occupied while Quinn and the others were gone. They worked a puzzle of the New York City skyline while munching on popcorn and watching sitcoms on television. He proved to be a fun distraction, and before she knew it, three hours had passed. She didn’t expect Quinn until late afternoon or early evening. Once they found the cabin, Detective Russo and Agent Copeland would call in the cavalry and shut the place down. She wondered if more girls had been abducted and chained to the wall.

  She held out hope that the nightmare would be over by tonight and her name cleared. She’d be free to sit beside Todd and support him through his recovery. He’d survived the night, leaping the first big hurdle. She’d called the hospital first thing in the morning using Quinn’s phone, which he promised was untraceable. She’d been pleasantly surprised to discover Nurse Dana had added her fake cousin name as Todd’s contact on his chart, so she was able to check on his condition. Todd wasn’t out of the woods yet, but every minute he hung on was a victory. Quinn’s office had arranged for a private guard for his room so he’d be safe from any more attacks. It was a huge relief, and she owed them more than she could ever repay.

  “I was thinking of making sandwiches for—” Vanessa spun around at the sound of the door opening. Quinn and the others were back already. They barely had time to find the cabin and return. Her stomach plummeted to her feet when she saw his face.

  “Why are you back so soon?”

  Quinn gave her a sympathetic look. “The cabin and bunker are gone.”

  Gage came up beside her. “What do you mean gone?”

  “Someone bombed the hell out of them,” Kaiya said succinctly.

  Vanessa couldn’t process what was happening. What did that mean for her? Would she still be a suspect? Detective Russo would have to haul her in for questioning at the least. She didn’t think she could survive even one night in ja
il, not to mention the fact that she’d be labeled a cop-killer. She might as well paint a giant red target on her back.

  “Vanessa, honey, breathe.” Quinn rubbed her back. This was becoming a habit—her lungs refusing to work while Quinn tried to provide comfort. This time they had an audience. Besides Gage and Kaiya, Detective Russo and Agent Copeland watched her with trepidation, like they thought she might pass out or something. If they stuck around, she just might.

  “There is some good news,” Quinn told her. “I recognized a firefighter as one of the men chasing you.”

  She looked up at him. “You did?”

  “Yeah.”

  She turned an accusing glare on the two law enforcement officers. “Why haven’t you arrested him yet?”

  “We need to dig up information on him first,” Detective Russo explained. “We need all of our ducks in a row before letting him know we’re on to him.”

  “We don’t want to spook him or the others and have them run,” Agent Copeland added. “Then we might never stop the trafficking ring.”

  “They’re reeling now,” Quinn insisted. “Two of their men are dead, and they had to destroy their lair. It will take time for them to regroup.”

  She understood all of that, but she was still under suspicion with her life on hold in the meantime.

  #

  Quinn’s phone buzzed, and he checked the screen, recoiling when he recognized the number. Holy hell, he was in deep trouble. “I need to take this,” he said as he stepped away from the group. They didn’t need to overhear what was sure to be an ugly dressing down.

  “Hello, sir. Let me exp—”

  “What the hell is going on, Billings? Where have you been?” Mort roared. Quinn held the phone away from his head. Wow, his tone practically burst Quinn’s eardrums. There was still time. He wasn’t finished with his rant.

  “I’ve been beside myself with worry. You promised to call me, you sonofabitch. I haven’t heard from you or Vanessa. I’ve been calling for days. Do you know how hard it is to make a call from the other side of the world and in the middle of a desert?” He didn’t give Quinn a chance to answer. “I’ve even tried Todd, but he won’t answer my calls either. Now I find out my daughter is wanted for murder! I’ll say it again. What the hell is going on?”

  “Before I apologize, I need you to know that Vanessa is safe. She’s here with me right now.”

  “Let me talk to her.”

  “I need to exp—”

  “Now, Billings. That’s an order.”

  “Yes, sir.” Quinn knew his cheeks were as red as beets from the verbal attack. He could feel the heat crawling up his neck. Flashbacks to his time as a rookie in boot camp assailed him. He hated disappointing his former commanding officer. He should’ve called him as soon as the replacement phone arrived, but in all honesty, the thought never crossed his mind.

  “Vanessa, can you come here?”

  She turned to look at him, and her brows narrowed. “What’s wrong?” She placed a hand against his cheek. “It looks like you have a fever. Are you sick?”

  Absolutely. He held up his cell. “It’s your dad.”

  Her eyes rounded, and she sucked in a breath. Backing away, she waved her hands in front of her. “Tell him I’m not here. I’m in the shower or something. He’s going to be so mad at me.”

  “Suck it up, buttercup. He’s already ripped me a new one, and he’s not finished.” When she still looked reluctant, he added in a softer tone, “He just needs to know you’re okay.”

  She unenthusiastically accepted the phone, holding it as if it were a poisonous snake. With a deep breath, she unmuted it and put it to her ear. “Hi, Daddy!”

  Quinn gave her points for her cheery tone.

  “Vanessa, are you okay, baby?”

  “I’m fine, Dad.”

  “Then why haven’t you called me? And what’s this about you being wanted for killing a deputy?”

  “We ran into a bit of trouble, but Quinn is taking care of everything.”

  “Put me on speaker.”

  Totally unnecessary move since Quinn could hear him perfectly.

  “Okay, you’re on speaker with Quinn and me.”

  “How bad is it?”

  Quinn met Vanessa’s gaze. She clearly wanted to downplay the situation, but he wouldn’t mislead her father. “It’s bad right now, but we’re working with the FBI and local police to clear up the misunderstanding.”

  “I’m catching a flight. I’ll be there sometime tomorrow.”

  “No!” The word shot out of Vanessa like a ball fired from a cannon. Mort didn’t respond. She pressed on. “Dad, I need you to stay where you are. You’re safe there. Todd was attacked and nearly killed because of me. He’s currently in a coma, and they don’t know if he’ll make it. These people are ruthless, and they wouldn’t hesitate to use you to get to me.”

  “Vanessa, I’ve been a soldier most of my life. I can take care of myself.”

  “Sir, she’s right,” Quinn interjected, knowing he was possibly severing any ties he had with the man. “It would be better for you to stay where you are. Between myself, my coworkers, the local police and the FBI, we’re handling the situation. Vanessa is under guard twenty-four seven.” He winced. Since he was the one protecting her at night, it was too much information to share with her father. Laughter bubbled up in Vanessa’s throat, and she slapped a hand over her mouth. He gave her a stern look. That seemed to set her off.

  “Vanessa, are you okay? Are you choking or something?”

  She cleared her throat. “I’m good, Dad. Water went down the wrong pipe. I’m fine now.” Her eyes twinkled at him.

  Damn, he had it so bad for her.

  “As much as it goes against my instincts, I’ll listen to you and stay here for now. But if the situation escalates, I will not hesitate to catch a flight. I expect to be updated daily.”

  “I promise,” Vanessa vowed.

  “I’m going to hang up now, but Billings, we will have words soon. Count on it.”

  “Yes, sir.”

  Vanessa handed him the phone. “I can’t believe I didn’t think to call him.”

  “You’ve been busy running for your life. Besides, it’s all on me. He trusted me to manage this, and I’ve let him down. I’ll be lucky if he ever speaks with me again.”

  And didn’t that make him want to throw up. He’d fallen in love with the man’s daughter. How could he have a relationship with her when her father despised him? There would be no Thanksgiving dinners or holiday visits. It would destroy Vanessa if she were forced to choose between them, but he’d never ask her to do that. He didn’t get enough time with his father before he passed away. As much as it would devastate him, he’d walk away.

  “We should go meet with the others to come up with a strategy.”

  She looked like she wanted to say something but nodded instead. He followed her to the living room, absently rubbing at the burning ache in his chest.

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  “Got a crush on a firefighter, Russo?”

  Erik Swanson leaned over Luca’s shoulder, offending him with his garlic breath and the stink of too much cheap cologne. “Want me to set up a little meet and greet for some slap and tickle?” Swanson chortled like he’d said the funniest thing in the world. Luca clicked off the webpage he’d been perusing and glared at the other detective.

  “Get lost, Swanson and mind your own business.”

  Swanson smirked as he took a seat at his desk a few feet away, which, unfortunately, faced Luca’s. “Your business is my business.”

  “What’s that supposed to mean?”

  Swanson held up his hands. “Calm down, Russo. It simply means that we’re both cops. That’s all. We’re on the same side. You don’t have to get your girlie panties in a twist.”

  Russo wanted to punch the arrogant ass. He hated being told to calm down when he was perfectly relaxed. And he truly detested Swanson. He was a glory-hound who cared more about his image
than the law. He’d requested—no, demanded—to be the lead on the Reggie Garner murder. Because he had seniority, the captain gave it to him. He was five years older than Luca, but he’d only made detective three months before Luca passed the test. Swanson lorded those three months over him like a tyrant.

  Swanson didn’t do anything without an ulterior motive. “Why’d you fight so hard for the Garner case?” He figured it was because it was high-profile, and he’d get plenty of airtime on the local news stations. Swanson never missed a chance to mug for the cameras.

  Surprise registered on Swanson’s face before he banked it. “Deputy Garner was an acquaintance. Our paths crossed on occasion. He deserves justice. I intend to see that the veterinarian who killed him gets the maximum sentence.”

  “Ever heard of innocent until proven guilty?”

  “Ever heard of overwhelming evidence?”

  Luca wanted to defend Vanessa Lacroix. After meeting her and hearing her side of the story, he was convinced she was innocent. Too many things didn’t add up with Garner’s murder, especially the lack of the bullet that killed him. It would’ve been easy for anyone to pump his chest full of lead after he was already dead.

  “Why are you sticking up for a cop killer, Russo? You know her or something?” His eyes narrowed suspiciously.

  “No, I’m pointing out the finer points of the law to someone who should know them by now.”

  Swanson jumped to his feet. “Why you—”

  “Hey, boys. What’s going on?” Sherry Prichard walked into the bullpen. Picking up on the tension in the room, she was doing her best to diffuse it. She’d only been a detective for a year, but she was dependable and driven. He’d worked a few cases with her, including last night when Buck Stanley started shooting. They both returned fire. It was a toss-up between whose bullet killed him.